Taikoubou

"The time has come. You've earned your rest."

2009-02-04T22:31:51Z

Well well, it's been quite a while since I've updated. A lot has happened since last posting.

Kelli and I ended up not moving to Gilbert and instead settled for a comfy apartment close to where we used to live. Its just off of 3rd St. and Greenway. We actually like it here a lot so far. The place is nice and quiet and the rent isn't terribly expensive. We really got a good deal on the place. It runs about $750 a month for a 950 sq. ft. apartment. Nice stainless steel appliances and a fireplace to boot. Too bad we won't be using it very often considering the state we live in and the heat that its known for.

Work is going relatively well. Still very boring, but they have me working on getting contractors paid out now instead of issuing work orders. Nancy used to do it all by herself, but she really did need the help. I think that she was backlogged by about two months of invoices before I started helping her out. Things are getting back on track now slowly. Better than not at all. The office is getting pretty crowded too. We hired about seven or eight people in the past two months just so we can keep up with the work. I'm pretty sure we're gonna have to move offices soon or expand out into the vacant office next door.

And now for the biggest news.

My father.

My father recently passed away after being in medical care since just before Thanksgiving. It was a big shock getting a call late at night telling me that my dad was just taken to the hospital. He was in perfect health when I just saw him a few days before hand. Apparently what happened was he woke up in the middle of the night choking and gasping for air. We're still not sure what he choked on. Anyway, my mom called 911 and tried to give him CPR, but by the time the ambulance arrived, his brain was without oxygen for almost 10 minutes.

They rushed him to the hospital and had to sedate him so they could fit an oxygen tube into his lungs. We were all hopeful and was sure that he'd be okay. They said that he was responding to basic commands and things before they had to put him under.

We waited. That's all we could do. We continued to wait and he didn't wake up. No one could wake him up from the sedation. Needless to say, everyone was worried. Not to say we weren't worried before. All the different doctors told us that if he wakes up, he wouldn't be the same. Over 92% of his brain had been damaged from the lack of oxygen.

Eventually, he did wake up. And they were right. He wasn't the same. He was awake, but he wasn't there. If you talked to him, he'd look at you for a bit, but he couldn't process what was happening or going on. He'd look around the room for a bit and close his eyes then repeat the same action. The only thing he could move around was his head for the most part. He'd kick his feet slightly sometimes, but that was it. Oxygen tube into his throat, feeding bag piped into his side. It was difficult to see him like that.

Everytime I visited him, I wished that he'd spring back to his old self right before my eyes. Things could go back to the way they used to be. I sat there in his room, waiting for it to happen. I'm sure all of us wished for the samething.

On Friday, January 30th, 2009, 6:55 p.m. Paul Truong, my father, passed away. The man that raised me and the man that I idolized moved on. Everyone that met my father always had good things to say to him. He always had good stories to tell and knowledge to give. His family and his friends always came before him. Its obvious that he will be missed greatly as many of us loved him.

At least now he isn't suffering anymore.

Papa, you've done more than enough for us during your lifetime. We will never be able to thank you enough. Your sons will take it from here. You've earned your rest.

P.S. Those of you wishing to attend my father's funeral ceremony, feel free to contact my brother or I. Thank you.

"I can't fly the WiG by myself."

2008-10-01T00:44:18Z

Yeah, I know. I haven't posted in ages. I've just been kinda busy and distracted. Life as been really good though. With Kelli down here now, things have just been extra awesome. I know she's homesick and all, but I do my best to keep her distracted from it.

In other news we will be moving outta here soon. Over to Gilbert as a matter of fact. At least for a little bit. We'll be moving in with my buddy and fellow game developer, Peng for a while and then Kelli and I plan on moving into these sweet apartments we found. That's what I'm really looking forward to. A place to call our own.

Work has been going well, despite the horrid boredom that comes along with it. Doing the same thing all day everyday does tend to make it that way. It does pay pretty well though. Enough for me to stick around at least. Hopefully, our little game company thing takes off soon so that I can do that full-time or I find a way to break into the gaming industry and have some constant stimulation.

"You've never pointed a gun at a person, have you, rookie?"

2008-08-16T21:32:11Z

Tonight, we play Smash. Also bring your PS3s and TVs. Why? Because.. war has changed.. MGO is making a guest appearance tonight.

Thumb wars has changed..

2008-08-12T00:23:47Z

"If they turn out good.. it means.. something good is gonna happen."

2008-08-09T05:28:33Z

August 22nd. That's the day. The day I fly to Chicago and drive back. With Kelli at my side. It'll be awesome. I know it.

Update: Looks like it's gonna be August 29th now.

See what happens when you leave the video game world?!

2008-08-03T19:07:54Z

Murder happens! I'll make sum this up briefly.

Couple works at Microsoft in the Xbox division.
Husband leaves to work for Wizards of the Coast.
Husband kills wife and then himself.

See?! See?! This is what analog gaming does to you! It makes you killer and then a suicide statistic.

Xbox Developer Dead in Murder-Suicide

"Brother! It's not over! Not yet!"

2008-07-30T06:11:38Z

So, I had a fantastic weekend. My girl flew in from Chicago, we had an awesome going away party for my brother, and I got to play MGS4 again.

I'm sure the whole girl thing is news to some of you. I'm sure most of you have heard me talk about her before. Kelli. That's here. Yup, we've managed to get back together again. Now now, I'm sure most of you are skeptical, as you have every right to be, but I'm pretty sure things'll pan out quite well this time around. No more long distance. She's moving here. What can I say? I'm good with the ladies. Haha. Well, maybe just this one.

As for my brother, he's going to Japan for a year, in about a month. I'll miss that troublemaker, but hey, that's what Skype and things like that are for, right? I'm sure he'll have a blast smacking the kids around over there just as much as he does here.

As for MGS4? I played it through so Kelli could enjoy all it's glory. I told you that I'm good with the ladies. Here's a tip for you all, MGS + girls = Happiness.

...no, I'm not serious... maybe.

Have fun, kiddos. I'll try to post more often.

Its for charity.

2008-07-05T23:19:12Z

Okay, so I'm sure some of you have heard about the guys that played all the Mario games over one weekend and made over $10,000 for Child's Play. Well, I figured it'd be fun to do the samething and raise some money for Child's Play. I've been backing this charity for quite a while now and always donate something every year. This time, I think it'd be fun to do the marathon thing and see how well it would go for me. What games do you think I wanna play? All the Metal Gear Solid games of course. Cut-scenes included.

I'm planning on maybe doing it a month or two from now and anyone that would like to join in, just let me know. In the mean time, I'll be saving up for a video capture card unless someone has one that they can let us borrow. I already have webcams to broadcast the fun so we're good on that end.

If anyone else has any other ideas, comments, or suggestion, feel free to drop me a line.

Makes ya wanna travel, don't it?

2008-06-27T00:22:23Z

Susan had this on her MySpace and I thought it was freakin' awesome, so I figured I'd share here.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

The world is pretty god damn awesome.

War of the NERF kind..

2008-06-21T05:53:28Z

Now if office warfare was only really this cool.

http://view.break.com/521743 - Watch more free videos

"With SOP, my team can literally operate as one."

2008-06-19T23:42:15Z

Metal Gear LAN party at my place tonight. Starts around 8:00 PM. I don't really expect a lot of people since this is pretty much super short notice, and I don't know a ton of people with PS3s. However, if you're just wanting to hangout, you're welcome to do so!

"Skadoosh!"

2008-06-19T19:06:32Z

So I went and saw Kung-fu Panda the other night with my brother and a couple friends of mine. I was pretty skeptical at first about the movie, but it ended up being really good. I enjoyed it very much. People should watch it if they get the chance.

Other movies to go see and knock off my list now would be: Wall-E, The Dark Knight, and Get Smart.

Guns of the Patriots

2008-06-14T21:45:11Z

Beat it. Loved it. Playin' it again.

P.S. People playing MGO, give me your MGO names so I can add you guys to the friend list. Mine is "Bou" if you're curious.

Metal Gear Solid 4

2008-06-12T09:05:24Z

Greatest. Game. Ever.

"I'm no hero. Never was. Never will be.."

2008-06-11T07:06:56Z

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Midnight. I'm ready. Are you?

Bloodbath

2008-06-08T17:26:34Z

Ninja Gaiden II. Decapitations, crushed skulls, severed limbs, smashed torsos, guts on the walls, blood everywhere. It's a good time. Very recommended.

Keeping up with the Joneses

2008-05-22T23:46:44Z

Yeah, so the new Indiana Jones movie was awesome. Not the best, but still very enjoyable. Well, except for one part. When you see it, you'll know what I'm talking about. I have one other complaint, but I won't go into detail about it. Otherwise the movie is well worth seeing!

"Don't cross the streams."

2008-05-17T20:01:44Z

"Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light."

"Right. That's bad. Okay. All right. Important safety tip. Thanks, Egon."

Missing things? This is probably why.

2008-05-16T07:26:48Z

That janitor guy is totally Gino.

Do it Again

2008-05-14T00:53:48Z

I want a Mac.

Courage is Solid

2008-05-13T20:07:35Z

There are clips posted up in places from the intro movie of the actual game and also the what's supposedly the first 10 minutes of what happens when you first turn on MGS4. I didn't watch any of those. I want to experience that stuff first hand when I get the game in my PS3. This trailer is okay though. A recommended watch.

Geek vs. Geek

2008-05-13T00:12:55Z

Good old Gizmodo. You find some of the funniest stuff on there.

"Hang on lady! We go for a ride!"

2008-05-10T19:55:54Z

Just short of two weeks before Indiana Jones! Who's going with me on the 22nd?! Hmmm?!

The Black Box

2008-05-09T19:16:50Z

So I got my $600 from Bush yesterday. What did I do with it? I went out and bought a PS3, of course. I gotta be ready for MGS4, duh. Its pretty nice and all, but I still can't get over how huge it is and that it looks like a George Foreman grill. Other than that, the interface is slick, and pretty much identical to the PSP, and 1080p is a hoot.

Don't try this at home.

2008-05-07T05:45:59Z

A preview of actual gameplay footage from Mirror's Edge was just posted up today. I've really been looking forward to this one since I found out about it a while back when all they had was something like two screenshots and a short little blurb about the premise. Basically its something along the lines of first-person free-running in a modern day, utopistic world. Can't wait.

For a hi-def version, go here: Gametrailers.com - Mirror's Edge - SCEE PlayStation Day Trailer HD